11 weeks pregnant and counting. It's been a great ride so far, but quite unpredictable. I have a long mental list of things I want to do, complete, get done, not do, quit doing and stop.
The one thing I'd really like to stop doing is laying on the couch. But no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to beat the addiction. The exhaustion and constant upset stomach keep me stuck to that charming couch.
Basically, each day is a work in progress: Eat. Don't gag. Drink water. Eat again. Repeat. With an over active gag reflux, I tend to quickly un-do all my good even if I feel great. A simple teeth brushing at the end of a really good day, can turn sour, no pun intended.
So, I try to avoid things like too much yogurt on my spoon -- it makes me gag. Or, don't smell things that smell bad. Don't THINK of things that smell bad. Don't LOOK at things that might smell bad. Don't cough a tickle out of my throat. And don't brush my teeth. I'm learning the hard way what to do what not to do. And how many things in life cause gagging.
And I travel on a regular basis... or so it feels. But, tonight brings the closure to our month of travel and I'm home to stay for at least 2 months. Traveling wrecks havoc on an upset stomach but thankfully, the Lord gave me strength and grace to not puke this whole last weekend we were gone! Granted, I got sick and laid on couches and slept in the van while everyone else partied, but hey, I didn't puke. It's funny how quickly your idea of success is altered during life changing times... like pregnancy.
I say all this as a way of recording the turn of events with this pregnancy. With my other babies, I tended to do better at recording my feelings and thoughts but with this one, I'm too distracted.
I've been making a mental list of all the things I want to do as soon as I feel better. For the last month, I've had my sister living here as a nanny to our kiddos, and boy was that great help! I could rest and relax as much as I needed to and I never had to cook. Now that she's gone, it's back to the grind for me.
Laying around and not being able to do much has given me a lot of thinking time. And I've realized how much petty things are important to me. Yes, you read that right. I want to learn to focus on the little moments in life that become life long memories. I want to learn how to make the most out of an ordinary day.
This last month held 2 birthdays in our little family as well as Father's Day. I did nothing special for my man and feel just terrible for that. He didn't comment or put any emphasis on the fact that I acted like his birthday never happened -- he's too nice to complain. But as soon as I'm back up to my normal state of well being, I plan to make a week of surprises for him. Who says you can't celebrate some body's birthday a month later?! I also plan to work on activities with the kids both here at home and away from home. I just feel like their young little lives are getting older and bigger everyday. It's NOW that we can do things they'll look back on and say, "When I was little..."
Some things I want to try my hand at in the next few months (after I get off the couch for good) include but are not limited to:
Finish Potty Training Of The Youngest Child
Teach My Ambitious Son To Read
Try My Hand At French Cooking (I made the mistake of watching Julie and Julia one day)
Get Rid Of Half Our Stuff (at least)
Follow A Daily Schedule
Plan Regular Activities With The Kids
Organize Sewing Stuff (I have 2 dresses to sew for an upcoming wedding)
But as for now, I'm just gonna concentrate on drinking water, eating food, mothering my kids, being a good wife and not gagging. And if I can pull all 5 things off in one day, I'll feel successful and productive.
And while I lay on the couch and dream of sunnier days when I'll have the energy to match my plans, a precious little life grows bigger everyday inside my womb. I'd have to admit that alone makes me successful. And productive.
Showing posts with label family update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family update. Show all posts
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Monday, June 08, 2009
When Life Changes, God Doesn't
It all started the day we... well, I'm not sure exactly which day that was, come to think of it. Hmm. It must've been a big day though because it sure started a lot of stuff.
Then again, maybe it wasn't a big day. Maybe it was just a normal day with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Funny thing how it is when you sit down and look back at life and remember an era filled with bumps and bangs and bruises but yet you realize you can never pin it back to a beginning. A turning point. Or even a period at the end of a sentence.
Life just changed. Just like that.
But then you remember back to events that took place. Events that turned out to be individual steps on a certain stairway in life. And as each event unfolded, a new step was created where you found your life at. Then suddenly, the stairway ends and just like that, an era has ended. Life goes on and you go with it.
I know I'm speakingpathetic poetic and mysterious but certainly, there has GOT to be a good reason why I haven't updated for a month or two, right?
On a side note, I have completely recovered from Mono, hosted company ever since my recovery, put in a garden, reorganized my house, planted flowers, worked on landscaping, took a 22 hour round trip, saw Lake Michigan and watched my husband turn another year older. Not to mention a few other activities.
It's been a good year but not unmixed with sorrow. Realities of religion and the grace of Christ have been two of our main focuses, the latter more than the former. God gently leads His dear children along and we have vividly seen His hand leading those He calls His own.
To summarize the happenings of the last two months, is hard to do in a nutshell. And hard (if not unwise) to do on the world wide web. It's kinda like ripping a scab off your skin and saying, "Okay everybody, have at it!"
A few of you have wondered what's happened with my blog and why I haven't updated for so long. I am open for any dialogue or discussion done privately as for the reasons I've been away for so long. My blog isn't about personal details though (besides Alex chasing the cat with forks, etc.).
Oh, and in case I didn't convey this right, there was never any intention on NOT blogging nor do I plan to quit blogging in the future. My mind was just too full of other things to be able to digest anything worth typing out on blogger.com. It would've read something like this: ";lkj iowop ijhen ipfld polk dpoks..." A pile of used kleenex probably would've sat on my desk next to the computer on one side and the shelf in front of my head would've had a head shaped indentation where my head had specifically been put a time or two (or three). A browser window for a Bible study reference site would've been tabbed to bloggers tab while I blogged and I would've copied and pasted most of the Bible into my blog (I would've left out the battle scenes in the Old Testament. And the genealogies.) Oh and coffee... there would've been tanks of coffee fueling me on. By the way, if anyone wonders what Bible site is the easiest to navigate when you're studying half the New Testament at once, www.biblegateway.com is worth your look. I've been at that site in the last few weeks more than I've been to my bed.
I am excited about life. About God. About the gospel. There is peace and calm in my life where that had been confusion and strife. I am hopeful about the future. For the first time in a long time, the future looks bright and certain.
And I've experienced the promise of John 10:10: "Jesus said, "the thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
Do YOU know Jesus meant that verse when He said it?
Then again, maybe it wasn't a big day. Maybe it was just a normal day with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Funny thing how it is when you sit down and look back at life and remember an era filled with bumps and bangs and bruises but yet you realize you can never pin it back to a beginning. A turning point. Or even a period at the end of a sentence.
Life just changed. Just like that.
But then you remember back to events that took place. Events that turned out to be individual steps on a certain stairway in life. And as each event unfolded, a new step was created where you found your life at. Then suddenly, the stairway ends and just like that, an era has ended. Life goes on and you go with it.
I know I'm speaking
On a side note, I have completely recovered from Mono, hosted company ever since my recovery, put in a garden, reorganized my house, planted flowers, worked on landscaping, took a 22 hour round trip, saw Lake Michigan and watched my husband turn another year older. Not to mention a few other activities.
It's been a good year but not unmixed with sorrow. Realities of religion and the grace of Christ have been two of our main focuses, the latter more than the former. God gently leads His dear children along and we have vividly seen His hand leading those He calls His own.
To summarize the happenings of the last two months, is hard to do in a nutshell. And hard (if not unwise) to do on the world wide web. It's kinda like ripping a scab off your skin and saying, "Okay everybody, have at it!"
A few of you have wondered what's happened with my blog and why I haven't updated for so long. I am open for any dialogue or discussion done privately as for the reasons I've been away for so long. My blog isn't about personal details though (besides Alex chasing the cat with forks, etc.).
Oh, and in case I didn't convey this right, there was never any intention on NOT blogging nor do I plan to quit blogging in the future. My mind was just too full of other things to be able to digest anything worth typing out on blogger.com. It would've read something like this: ";lkj iowop ijhen ipfld polk dpoks..." A pile of used kleenex probably would've sat on my desk next to the computer on one side and the shelf in front of my head would've had a head shaped indentation where my head had specifically been put a time or two (or three). A browser window for a Bible study reference site would've been tabbed to bloggers tab while I blogged and I would've copied and pasted most of the Bible into my blog (I would've left out the battle scenes in the Old Testament. And the genealogies.) Oh and coffee... there would've been tanks of coffee fueling me on. By the way, if anyone wonders what Bible site is the easiest to navigate when you're studying half the New Testament at once, www.biblegateway.com is worth your look. I've been at that site in the last few weeks more than I've been to my bed.
I am excited about life. About God. About the gospel. There is peace and calm in my life where that had been confusion and strife. I am hopeful about the future. For the first time in a long time, the future looks bright and certain.
And I've experienced the promise of John 10:10: "Jesus said, "the thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
Do YOU know Jesus meant that verse when He said it?
Monday, January 05, 2009
When Reality Hits
I have never entered a new year with so much foreboding. So much holding on to the old year. So much trepidation. Even fear. And lots of uncertainty.
Yeah, the economy is bad, the war is sad and the change in presidency could inflict a lot of change in our world, etc. But the biggest reason for the unwillingness to go into the new year is because my brother and brother-in-law are leaving for a whole year and going to Iraq. They won't even be home for next Christmas.
That is sad. Because Christmas time always promises the gathering of families. Or so we like to think.
Have you ever stopped to think about what a whole year can bring? I was the other day. It dawned quite obviously on me that 12 months have a lot of potential to bring a vast experience of excitement, grief, change, burdens, hopes and dreams fulfilled. It's such a huge variety of what life holds that to look ahead to a year that already gives a glimmer of sadness, makes it even more foreboding to head into it.
On the lighter side, a child can go from barely wiggling to walking in a year's time. Another child can go from not knowing their alphabet to learning how to read in a year's time. And conceivably speaking (pun not intended), a child can go from conception to pregnancy to birth to 3 months old in a year's time. Even a woman can go from one pregnancy to another in a year's time. (not that it's ever happened to me before...)
A job can be lost, a house can be sold, a trip around the world can be taken, a move can be made, etc, all within a year's time.
And what about hard change. Like death. Or misunderstandings. Or sickness. It can all happen in a years time.
Reality can be hard to grasp. Even harder to accept. But, sometimes whether you're ready or not, reality hits and life goes on. I admire the courage of my brothers and their ability to embrace the reality of a year of war. But, a year of worry for me doesn't sound too thrilling.
The perspective of my reality versus their reality is enough to sober me into a year of prayer. Why worry when you can pray, right? And that's what I intend to do for the next 13 months.
Pray with me please.
Yeah, the economy is bad, the war is sad and the change in presidency could inflict a lot of change in our world, etc. But the biggest reason for the unwillingness to go into the new year is because my brother and brother-in-law are leaving for a whole year and going to Iraq. They won't even be home for next Christmas.
That is sad. Because Christmas time always promises the gathering of families. Or so we like to think.
Have you ever stopped to think about what a whole year can bring? I was the other day. It dawned quite obviously on me that 12 months have a lot of potential to bring a vast experience of excitement, grief, change, burdens, hopes and dreams fulfilled. It's such a huge variety of what life holds that to look ahead to a year that already gives a glimmer of sadness, makes it even more foreboding to head into it.
On the lighter side, a child can go from barely wiggling to walking in a year's time. Another child can go from not knowing their alphabet to learning how to read in a year's time. And conceivably speaking (pun not intended), a child can go from conception to pregnancy to birth to 3 months old in a year's time. Even a woman can go from one pregnancy to another in a year's time. (not that it's ever happened to me before...)
A job can be lost, a house can be sold, a trip around the world can be taken, a move can be made, etc, all within a year's time.
And what about hard change. Like death. Or misunderstandings. Or sickness. It can all happen in a years time.
Reality can be hard to grasp. Even harder to accept. But, sometimes whether you're ready or not, reality hits and life goes on. I admire the courage of my brothers and their ability to embrace the reality of a year of war. But, a year of worry for me doesn't sound too thrilling.
The perspective of my reality versus their reality is enough to sober me into a year of prayer. Why worry when you can pray, right? And that's what I intend to do for the next 13 months.
Pray with me please.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
On Jogging Babies, A Pregnant Cat and Christmastime
I really should not be blogging. My kids are sleeping, the house is quiet, the phone is not ringing and the sun is shining. This is a bad time for blogging: I really should be doing laundry. Or cleaning. Or packing. Or something productive.
But, since the Christmas season is heavily upon us (though our home has been decluttered of Christmas decor as of last Saturday), I assumed I should do my best to create a festive ado to the old year and prepare with diligence for the new year. At least on my blog.
Christmas season is over at our house because 1) we celebrated it twice already here and 2) we will be gone the entire Christmas week while celebrating with family else where. So, not to give myself more to get done in the New Year, I put all our stuff away already. It seems strange to plan for Christmas but yet already have the stockings taken down, the candles put away and the trees undecorated.
We are in the midst of the FUN part of our basement remodel. Janae's room has been heavily decorated with flowers, butterflies and clouds and has caused a spirit of covetousness in her older brother's heart. He really wants pink and purple and yellow flowers and butterflies in his room. If he only knew what was in store for his new room, he'd not waste time on frivolous matters of dreaming of butterflies. (hint: it involves a train.)
Alex has evolved into a creature ofinsanity and impulsive, irreparable cranial discoveries unbelievable climbing performance. If it's above the floor, out of his reach and right where he wants to go, he'll get there. No matter how high. He has sustained a goodly amount of cuts, bumps and bruises and even some possible spine misalignment. But, all that to say that his favorite place to go for a jog is around and around the top of the dining room table. While I make supper.
I am secretly coveting cultures where the family sits on the floor while they eat -- a table is unheard of. Oh, and the people that eat with their fingers... my kids would feel right at home. Just think of the ease life would be. That whole dining-room-table-less-culture means I could seriously cook supper without rescuing my baby off the top of the table 5 times while I attempt to put whipped topping on the dessert. (not that it's ever happened or anything...)
Janae is doing well. She is convinced the real name for Christmas is "April 5th" since that is her birthday. This gift giving and celebration with family and friends is all too confusing and synonymous with her birthday. We have told the Christmas story several times to the kids and never took time to mention that Jesus was probably born in April or March, according to history. Nonetheless, Janae calls it April 5th and maybe someday she'll realize that Christmas and Birthdays are two very different holidays, even though her and Jesus just might share the same birthday. The bundle of energy, giggles and tears that Janae is continues to prove over and over that she is definitely all girl.
Landon. He's a boy. He shovels snow. And shovels snow. And shovels snow. Then, he comes inside with his new shovel and washes it in the sink to get all the dirty snow and mud off. Every time too. Weird kid. I wish he was as particular about his room. The Christmas story has him perplexed: "Why did that lady have her baby in a barn?" Makes me realize that the "Christmas story" really was more than just a story; it was reality for that lonely baby and his rejected mother. Do we really understand the Christmas story the way a child can???
Toby is well. All the teeth left in his head from the last dentistassignment appointment are also well. When it rains it pours so we are happily supporting the financial fund for our dentist. A pocket of infection left Toby looking like half a chipmunk on his face but he endured it happily and painted the kids' new rooms while healing from the ordeal his teeth gave him for 3 days. Since then, he's been enjoying life at home since our subzero weather has shut most construction workers up for awhile. Bookwork and remodeling keep him busy and when he gets ornery, he'll just come upstairs and shoot rubber bands at his wife or make fun of the way she complains about her sore knee.
Rasputia (our cat) is about to give birth at pretty much any given moment. We are hoping she waits until after Christmas so we can be home to enjoy the new kittens and watch with amazement at the wonderment of our house becoming infested with cats.
We built a redneck-looking-hay-igloo outside for the dog. Any of you wondering about how she's fairing in this subzero weather, don't worry. The only thing she lacks is a kerosene heater and Christmas lights around her "house." But we thought that would be more dangerous than helpful so she just gets food and water everyday.
Oh and the guinea pig is still out on her foreign exchange student trip. She is residing for part of the school year at a local grade 6-12 school house. We are enjoying not having guinea pig poop to sweep up but think when she comes home, she'll like the basement better than when she left. The added cats to our home will also help in making her feel comfortable here as well.
As for me, I'm really supposed to be doing laundry, packing and getting ready for the trip. I'm trying to size down the number of items webring take (properly expressed grammer) but since Wisconsin has so much more cold and so much more snow and so much more ice than we do, it's hard to eliminate layers when you really should be adding more. Not to mention all the gifts and items that we usually haul up there.
While I get back to my day here and make a better mess of the pile of laundry and junk waiting to be packed, I hope you all have a very, Merry Christmas!
But, since the Christmas season is heavily upon us (though our home has been decluttered of Christmas decor as of last Saturday), I assumed I should do my best to create a festive ado to the old year and prepare with diligence for the new year. At least on my blog.
Christmas season is over at our house because 1) we celebrated it twice already here and 2) we will be gone the entire Christmas week while celebrating with family else where. So, not to give myself more to get done in the New Year, I put all our stuff away already. It seems strange to plan for Christmas but yet already have the stockings taken down, the candles put away and the trees undecorated.
We are in the midst of the FUN part of our basement remodel. Janae's room has been heavily decorated with flowers, butterflies and clouds and has caused a spirit of covetousness in her older brother's heart. He really wants pink and purple and yellow flowers and butterflies in his room. If he only knew what was in store for his new room, he'd not waste time on frivolous matters of dreaming of butterflies. (hint: it involves a train.)
Alex has evolved into a creature of
I am secretly coveting cultures where the family sits on the floor while they eat -- a table is unheard of. Oh, and the people that eat with their fingers... my kids would feel right at home. Just think of the ease life would be. That whole dining-room-table-less-culture means I could seriously cook supper without rescuing my baby off the top of the table 5 times while I attempt to put whipped topping on the dessert. (not that it's ever happened or anything...)
Janae is doing well. She is convinced the real name for Christmas is "April 5th" since that is her birthday. This gift giving and celebration with family and friends is all too confusing and synonymous with her birthday. We have told the Christmas story several times to the kids and never took time to mention that Jesus was probably born in April or March, according to history. Nonetheless, Janae calls it April 5th and maybe someday she'll realize that Christmas and Birthdays are two very different holidays, even though her and Jesus just might share the same birthday. The bundle of energy, giggles and tears that Janae is continues to prove over and over that she is definitely all girl.
Landon. He's a boy. He shovels snow. And shovels snow. And shovels snow. Then, he comes inside with his new shovel and washes it in the sink to get all the dirty snow and mud off. Every time too. Weird kid. I wish he was as particular about his room. The Christmas story has him perplexed: "Why did that lady have her baby in a barn?" Makes me realize that the "Christmas story" really was more than just a story; it was reality for that lonely baby and his rejected mother. Do we really understand the Christmas story the way a child can???
Toby is well. All the teeth left in his head from the last dentist
Rasputia (our cat) is about to give birth at pretty much any given moment. We are hoping she waits until after Christmas so we can be home to enjoy the new kittens and watch with amazement at the wonderment of our house becoming infested with cats.
We built a redneck-looking-hay-igloo outside for the dog. Any of you wondering about how she's fairing in this subzero weather, don't worry. The only thing she lacks is a kerosene heater and Christmas lights around her "house." But we thought that would be more dangerous than helpful so she just gets food and water everyday.
Oh and the guinea pig is still out on her foreign exchange student trip. She is residing for part of the school year at a local grade 6-12 school house. We are enjoying not having guinea pig poop to sweep up but think when she comes home, she'll like the basement better than when she left. The added cats to our home will also help in making her feel comfortable here as well.
As for me, I'm really supposed to be doing laundry, packing and getting ready for the trip. I'm trying to size down the number of items we
While I get back to my day here and make a better mess of the pile of laundry and junk waiting to be packed, I hope you all have a very, Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 01, 2008
Random Trip Update
It's that day-after-trip-day. Everything is in limbo.
The kids are napping off schedule which is never fun. The baby got up just before the older kids laid down. The baby was fussy so went back to bed when the older kids laid down. The oldest kid is now singing in his bed. The middle kid is sleeping (I think) and the youngest kid is playing (I think) or else sleeping. Oops, now he's crying.
Grandma is in town for 10 days.
Suitcases sit in a stack in the dining room but hey, at least they're empty.
Supper needs to be made.
Everyone is tired.
Daddy is working in the frigid cold.
But, we had a wonderful time in Colorado and enjoyed every minute. Being with friends, mountains and food all at the same time was an experience beyond what Nebraska has -- I mean, those mountains really make the experience monumental. Just kidding.
Seriously, I was reminded again that having a good time is not contingent on surroundings or familiarity; it's on God's love being shared mutually by friends. And we definitely had that. It was a very encouraging trip and the fun and blessings we had couldn't have been any greater.
It was fun to be at the place where "it" all began. And by "it" I mean our relationship. A lot of things have changed in 6 years and "it" definitely has changed since then. Adding 3 kids and lots of love is a sure way to change "it" in 6 years time. Instead of saying, "It sure was nice to meet you," as Toby walked away from the table thatfateful sweet day, he sits at the table that I serve everyday now. We both think that's nice.
The front step of the Church also has sweet memories. That was the place I made the decision to follow Christ. The place I made the first stake in my walk with God. I was glad to see that with all that's changed in 8 years, that step hasn't changed at all. It was a stark reminder to me that just like my heart has stayed in close communion with God, that step still sits rooted, and grounded into the entrance of the Church. For some reason I found the similarity profound.
Our traveling was uneventful, which we were thankful for. We heard of several friends and family members traveling yesterday that were stranded in motels because of weather. We were fortunate to travel safely and quickly... except for all the tumbleweeds that hit our van. Thankfully, they don't do much damage except make your vehicle look like you drove through a dried flower factory.
We were glad to come home and know our dear Grandma was coming into town on a brief visit. The kids were sad to leave Colorado but when we told them Grandma would be in Nebraska, they readily got in the van. I'm sure we'll have several fun days ahead until she heads back to her home in a couple weeks.
Now to get back into the swing of things, enjoy some family time, gear up for our Wisconsin Christmas Trip in a few weeks and settle into December weather.
The kids are napping off schedule which is never fun. The baby got up just before the older kids laid down. The baby was fussy so went back to bed when the older kids laid down. The oldest kid is now singing in his bed. The middle kid is sleeping (I think) and the youngest kid is playing (I think) or else sleeping. Oops, now he's crying.
Grandma is in town for 10 days.
Suitcases sit in a stack in the dining room but hey, at least they're empty.
Supper needs to be made.
Everyone is tired.
Daddy is working in the frigid cold.
But, we had a wonderful time in Colorado and enjoyed every minute. Being with friends, mountains and food all at the same time was an experience beyond what Nebraska has -- I mean, those mountains really make the experience monumental. Just kidding.
Seriously, I was reminded again that having a good time is not contingent on surroundings or familiarity; it's on God's love being shared mutually by friends. And we definitely had that. It was a very encouraging trip and the fun and blessings we had couldn't have been any greater.
It was fun to be at the place where "it" all began. And by "it" I mean our relationship. A lot of things have changed in 6 years and "it" definitely has changed since then. Adding 3 kids and lots of love is a sure way to change "it" in 6 years time. Instead of saying, "It sure was nice to meet you," as Toby walked away from the table that
The front step of the Church also has sweet memories. That was the place I made the decision to follow Christ. The place I made the first stake in my walk with God. I was glad to see that with all that's changed in 8 years, that step hasn't changed at all. It was a stark reminder to me that just like my heart has stayed in close communion with God, that step still sits rooted, and grounded into the entrance of the Church. For some reason I found the similarity profound.
Our traveling was uneventful, which we were thankful for. We heard of several friends and family members traveling yesterday that were stranded in motels because of weather. We were fortunate to travel safely and quickly... except for all the tumbleweeds that hit our van. Thankfully, they don't do much damage except make your vehicle look like you drove through a dried flower factory.
We were glad to come home and know our dear Grandma was coming into town on a brief visit. The kids were sad to leave Colorado but when we told them Grandma would be in Nebraska, they readily got in the van. I'm sure we'll have several fun days ahead until she heads back to her home in a couple weeks.
Now to get back into the swing of things, enjoy some family time, gear up for our Wisconsin Christmas Trip in a few weeks and settle into December weather.
Monday, September 01, 2008
A Matron Of Honor Recounts THE Wedding
It was a lovely day for a wedding. Perfect weather. Perfect sun. Perfect temperature. It honestly could not have been any better.
After a short night of sleep the night before, 3 of us girls piled out of the same bed and the 4 other room mates got up as well. The nice thing about going to bed at 2am and showering just before you crawl in your bed is the fact that you don’t need a shower a mere 5 hours later when the alarm goes off. It’s like a glorified nap. We saved water and time that way although we did lose sleep using this sleep vs. shower method.
A short hour and 45 minutes later found a whole passle of smiling, giggling girls spilling out of the same hotel room and bustling down to a waiting, shiny limo. A couple of us weighed our options and opted for coffee instead of a limo ride. Yeah, that's how important coffee can be to a person: instead of taking your first limo ride ever, you’d settle for coffee instead. I almost feltfoolish mature watching the gawking hotel guests drool over the our limo while I slipped into a blue Corolla instead and went to a drive through coffee shop. But, my priorities were in order and that's all that mattered.
Arriving at the church we immediately plugged in irons, set up ironing boards, began fixing hair and spraying perfume. I personally became heavily intoxicated with the cloud of hair spray and perfume and nail polish that filled the room we were in but hey, at least we all looked nice and smelled good too.
After getting my hair done, I began to prepare for putting on my dress. The Dress. That bridesmaid dress I had slaved over along with my kind sister-in-law who had finished it up for me and made it fit perfect.
As I went to get my hand picked undergarments that I needed before putting the dress on, I found that they were no where. I looked everywhere I knew I had put them and they were entirely missing. I ran out to the limo that had just arrived with the male wedding attendants and interrogated the driver about the location of my clothing. The petrified driver kindly assured me my clothes were not in the luggage areaas he nervously dodged my flailing arms and threatening jabs while preparing to step back in his limo. I searched the church foyer, the car I had come over to the church in and ransacked all the luggage and duffel bags that were not my own. But, nothing turned up. The clothes were missing.
I called a family member still at the hotel asking them to please check the room my clothes were last in. The clothes were gone. I just knew they were probably sitting in the corner of an elevator or laying strewn on a parking lot somewhere getting black tire marks on my muchlacy necessary “clothing.”
I was desperate and really needed to be dressed and practicing the piano instead of running around like a chicken with my head cut off in search of lingerie. I finally decided to just go to the bathroom and think. While in my perfume intoxicated state of mind and feeling dizzy from all the smells and lack of fresh air, I found in that hazy bathroom that the clothes I needed were already where they were supposed to be: on me. I was so relieved that the embarrassment of the whole ordeal did nothing to keep me from relieving the worried bride and my fellow bridesmaids that this matron of honor had indeed accounted for everything she needed for this day. I was met with scoffing laughter instead of sighs of relief.
And I don't understand why.
Anyway, now the dress. The Moment had come. I put it on, stepped out of the bathroom for inspection. I was met with yeah-it’s-okay-but-are-you-sure-you-can’t-tighten-your-bra-straps type of reaction. Not the type of response a maiden of honor expects. Or appreciates.
I decided to try on a different dress. So, I grabbed another one laying over the back of a chair. That one was too tight.
I slipped out one last time, hoping I hadn’t lost/gained too much weight over the course of time that had lapsed since my dress was sewn and grabbed the next dress I could find. Finally, it fit. I am making a mental note to personalize matching dresses I make from now on in order to save on time and the embarrassment of trying on every pink dress I could lay my hands on. Bare in mind that this is moving closely to about an hour before the beginning of the wedding and I still needed to practice the piano –before guests arrived—and do the finishing touches on myself.
I zipped into the still empty sanctuary and ran to the piano, relieved I was alone to practice the song assigned to me by the bride for her special day. I began to play and suddenly out of no where, people dressed in black began flashing lights at me, zooming in on my playing and taking in the piano from different angles. That was an excellent practice set up because it made me feel like I was seriously performing and definitely on display. It was realistically intimidating which was what I needed to live in the moment of performance without actually performing.
My fingers glided perfectly and as the damper peddle faded the song at the end, the photographer began to tell me how much he liked that song and the arrangement he heard and how he had it on his Ipod and perhaps I could listen to it later on that day. It was the inspiration I needed and appreciated but didn’t expect.
Doing the finishing touches on myself, opening bridal attendant gifts and then racing to the kitchen to get a bite to eat in order to help eliminate a sure tendency of fainting, I realized this was it. The groom was visiting with his attendants and looked out-of-the-ordinarily sober and serious. I felt an advantage on my sister (the bride) because I got to talk to the groom and see him on HER wedding day before she did. HA! Wait! That was the point… duh.
Teetering on the gold, pointy heeled sandals strapped to my feet, I attempted to gracefully flit around and make sure everything was in line that I was in charge of: flower girl, ring bearers, husband-of-the-matron-of-honor, etc. I found myself happily accepting the steady strong arm of the brother-of-the-bride who also happened to be my brother too. Those darling sandals were for looks, not for wearing. But, if you had a handsome soldier to escort you around, you knew exactly how Cinderella must’ve felt.
Helping the bride put on her beautiful gown, I couldn't believe the miracle that takes place in a girl when she becomes a bride in that one single moment. It’s a transformation. The point in time when she enters that portal between single hood and marriage. The radiant beauty the dress inspires in the girl that is now The Bride is heavenly. It was HER day. And she looked every bit of it too.
The moment came for us to line up in the order of our attendant positions. And then the tears of happiness came. I have never in my life had obvious tears on my eyes because I was happy. I was petrified my make-up would run and began receiving directions from all kinds of friendly people on how to dab one's eyes when you wear the kind of make-up you are not used to wearing. The rest of the people I was with told me to just quit crying because if I cried, then they would cry too. I felt so responsible in my out of character state of my mind and quickly controlled my tears. And that make-up.
The music started. The Grandmothers were seated. It was too late now to do anything else. Everything had to be ready. The first attendants entered the church. And then the next. And then the next and so on and so forth until it was my turn.
I stepped out on the white runner with my sparkly, tipsy sandals while taking hold of the strong arm of the attendant I was attending with. Thankfully, he had a much more substantial base than I had and it allowed me to thrive in the moment of dainty heels, shimmering dress, climaxing processional music and the fact that my sister was getting married. Immediately, I felt all the excitement and emotion of such a special day and my smile felt like my face would break. I was so happy.
I remembered back a few years when I walked down the same aisle on the arm of my father to the smiling groom waiting for me at the front of the church. I looked over to where that groom sat watching me and saw that same smile and that darling wink. I was so happy.
This was Brittney's day. The day she had waited for. Her groom had a very pleased smile on his face when we met eyes and I could tell he partook of the same joy I had for Britt only his was deeper. He had so much love for her in his eyes. This man that had won my sister's heart was worthy of her affection. He was so happy and I could see in his eyes what a million words could never say: she's all mine now and I will cherish her forever.
In a shower of pink petals and bright, giggly smiles, the flower girl and ring bearer put on a delightful show of sprinkling flowers down the aisle runner. They were perfect. I had no idea those children could possess such perfection. Anyone could tell they delighted in the participation they had in their Aunt Beemoo's day and the joy they had was evident in the pink cloud of petals they were all the way down the aisle.
And then the bride. She was beautiful. Her hair was perfect. Her dress sparkled like a ray of sunshine. Her smile, her confidence, her happiness, her composure, her love... all were as evident as the sun was outside. She didn't take her eyes off her groom the whole way down the aisle. She was radiant. This was the moment of her life and she celebrated every minute of it. I was so happy.
The ceremony, special music and vows were all perfect. Nothing went wrong. The first kiss was beautiful and the smiles and peace the couple had together was so inspiring to watch. They were definitely on a good start to a great marriage.
I never knew a day could be so perfect. But it was. And I was so happy but even happier that the happiness didn't end when the last notes of the recessional died down. A good marriage is sure to follow this happy wedding and I look forward to at last having a married sibling and settling down to life as young married couples together.
As hard as it is to believe, I have an idea I'm not half as happy as Andy and Britt are though. And for some reason, that makes me real happy.
I would post a picture from the wedding but due to previously committed-to requests, I was unable to photograph any part of the wedding. I guess that's part of being IN the wedding: you can't take pictures OF the wedding yourself. So, I captured it the best I could in words although I do realize that a single picture is worth a thousand words.
After a short night of sleep the night before, 3 of us girls piled out of the same bed and the 4 other room mates got up as well. The nice thing about going to bed at 2am and showering just before you crawl in your bed is the fact that you don’t need a shower a mere 5 hours later when the alarm goes off. It’s like a glorified nap. We saved water and time that way although we did lose sleep using this sleep vs. shower method.
A short hour and 45 minutes later found a whole passle of smiling, giggling girls spilling out of the same hotel room and bustling down to a waiting, shiny limo. A couple of us weighed our options and opted for coffee instead of a limo ride. Yeah, that's how important coffee can be to a person: instead of taking your first limo ride ever, you’d settle for coffee instead. I almost felt
Arriving at the church we immediately plugged in irons, set up ironing boards, began fixing hair and spraying perfume. I personally became heavily intoxicated with the cloud of hair spray and perfume and nail polish that filled the room we were in but hey, at least we all looked nice and smelled good too.
After getting my hair done, I began to prepare for putting on my dress. The Dress. That bridesmaid dress I had slaved over along with my kind sister-in-law who had finished it up for me and made it fit perfect.
As I went to get my hand picked undergarments that I needed before putting the dress on, I found that they were no where. I looked everywhere I knew I had put them and they were entirely missing. I ran out to the limo that had just arrived with the male wedding attendants and interrogated the driver about the location of my clothing. The petrified driver kindly assured me my clothes were not in the luggage area
I called a family member still at the hotel asking them to please check the room my clothes were last in. The clothes were gone. I just knew they were probably sitting in the corner of an elevator or laying strewn on a parking lot somewhere getting black tire marks on my much
I was desperate and really needed to be dressed and practicing the piano instead of running around like a chicken with my head cut off in search of lingerie. I finally decided to just go to the bathroom and think. While in my perfume intoxicated state of mind and feeling dizzy from all the smells and lack of fresh air, I found in that hazy bathroom that the clothes I needed were already where they were supposed to be: on me. I was so relieved that the embarrassment of the whole ordeal did nothing to keep me from relieving the worried bride and my fellow bridesmaids that this matron of honor had indeed accounted for everything she needed for this day. I was met with scoffing laughter instead of sighs of relief.
And I don't understand why.
Anyway, now the dress. The Moment had come. I put it on, stepped out of the bathroom for inspection. I was met with yeah-it’s-okay-but-are-you-sure-you-can’t-tighten-your-bra-straps type of reaction. Not the type of response a maiden of honor expects. Or appreciates.
I decided to try on a different dress. So, I grabbed another one laying over the back of a chair. That one was too tight.
I slipped out one last time, hoping I hadn’t lost/gained too much weight over the course of time that had lapsed since my dress was sewn and grabbed the next dress I could find. Finally, it fit. I am making a mental note to personalize matching dresses I make from now on in order to save on time and the embarrassment of trying on every pink dress I could lay my hands on. Bare in mind that this is moving closely to about an hour before the beginning of the wedding and I still needed to practice the piano –before guests arrived—and do the finishing touches on myself.
I zipped into the still empty sanctuary and ran to the piano, relieved I was alone to practice the song assigned to me by the bride for her special day. I began to play and suddenly out of no where, people dressed in black began flashing lights at me, zooming in on my playing and taking in the piano from different angles. That was an excellent practice set up because it made me feel like I was seriously performing and definitely on display. It was realistically intimidating which was what I needed to live in the moment of performance without actually performing.
My fingers glided perfectly and as the damper peddle faded the song at the end, the photographer began to tell me how much he liked that song and the arrangement he heard and how he had it on his Ipod and perhaps I could listen to it later on that day. It was the inspiration I needed and appreciated but didn’t expect.
Doing the finishing touches on myself, opening bridal attendant gifts and then racing to the kitchen to get a bite to eat in order to help eliminate a sure tendency of fainting, I realized this was it. The groom was visiting with his attendants and looked out-of-the-ordinarily sober and serious. I felt an advantage on my sister (the bride) because I got to talk to the groom and see him on HER wedding day before she did. HA! Wait! That was the point… duh.
Teetering on the gold, pointy heeled sandals strapped to my feet, I attempted to gracefully flit around and make sure everything was in line that I was in charge of: flower girl, ring bearers, husband-of-the-matron-of-honor, etc. I found myself happily accepting the steady strong arm of the brother-of-the-bride who also happened to be my brother too. Those darling sandals were for looks, not for wearing. But, if you had a handsome soldier to escort you around, you knew exactly how Cinderella must’ve felt.
Helping the bride put on her beautiful gown, I couldn't believe the miracle that takes place in a girl when she becomes a bride in that one single moment. It’s a transformation. The point in time when she enters that portal between single hood and marriage. The radiant beauty the dress inspires in the girl that is now The Bride is heavenly. It was HER day. And she looked every bit of it too.
The moment came for us to line up in the order of our attendant positions. And then the tears of happiness came. I have never in my life had obvious tears on my eyes because I was happy. I was petrified my make-up would run and began receiving directions from all kinds of friendly people on how to dab one's eyes when you wear the kind of make-up you are not used to wearing. The rest of the people I was with told me to just quit crying because if I cried, then they would cry too. I felt so responsible in my out of character state of my mind and quickly controlled my tears. And that make-up.
The music started. The Grandmothers were seated. It was too late now to do anything else. Everything had to be ready. The first attendants entered the church. And then the next. And then the next and so on and so forth until it was my turn.
I stepped out on the white runner with my sparkly, tipsy sandals while taking hold of the strong arm of the attendant I was attending with. Thankfully, he had a much more substantial base than I had and it allowed me to thrive in the moment of dainty heels, shimmering dress, climaxing processional music and the fact that my sister was getting married. Immediately, I felt all the excitement and emotion of such a special day and my smile felt like my face would break. I was so happy.
I remembered back a few years when I walked down the same aisle on the arm of my father to the smiling groom waiting for me at the front of the church. I looked over to where that groom sat watching me and saw that same smile and that darling wink. I was so happy.
This was Brittney's day. The day she had waited for. Her groom had a very pleased smile on his face when we met eyes and I could tell he partook of the same joy I had for Britt only his was deeper. He had so much love for her in his eyes. This man that had won my sister's heart was worthy of her affection. He was so happy and I could see in his eyes what a million words could never say: she's all mine now and I will cherish her forever.
In a shower of pink petals and bright, giggly smiles, the flower girl and ring bearer put on a delightful show of sprinkling flowers down the aisle runner. They were perfect. I had no idea those children could possess such perfection. Anyone could tell they delighted in the participation they had in their Aunt Beemoo's day and the joy they had was evident in the pink cloud of petals they were all the way down the aisle.
And then the bride. She was beautiful. Her hair was perfect. Her dress sparkled like a ray of sunshine. Her smile, her confidence, her happiness, her composure, her love... all were as evident as the sun was outside. She didn't take her eyes off her groom the whole way down the aisle. She was radiant. This was the moment of her life and she celebrated every minute of it. I was so happy.
The ceremony, special music and vows were all perfect. Nothing went wrong. The first kiss was beautiful and the smiles and peace the couple had together was so inspiring to watch. They were definitely on a good start to a great marriage.
I never knew a day could be so perfect. But it was. And I was so happy but even happier that the happiness didn't end when the last notes of the recessional died down. A good marriage is sure to follow this happy wedding and I look forward to at last having a married sibling and settling down to life as young married couples together.
As hard as it is to believe, I have an idea I'm not half as happy as Andy and Britt are though. And for some reason, that makes me real happy.
I would post a picture from the wedding but due to previously committed-to requests, I was unable to photograph any part of the wedding. I guess that's part of being IN the wedding: you can't take pictures OF the wedding yourself. So, I captured it the best I could in words although I do realize that a single picture is worth a thousand words.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Random Realities of Real Life
While splurging in luxury, and drinking coffee while surfing the web (ie., checking email, blogging, etc.), I am listening to a busy dad upstairs making pancakes with 3 small, motherless children. The busy-ness above me could be a reflection on the busy-ness of life around us and ahead of us lately.
My computer is still with the Geek Squad at Best Buy. (No comment on it's "success" because I have none: they don't return my calls or answer the phone when I call.)
My generous, sisterly heart offered to make 5 bridesmaid dresses for my sister's wedding in order to pay back all that nanny service she gave us for several years. Thankfully, my sister here was the "umph" I needed to just go ahead and offer my sewing services. It happened in a phone call when I told my sister-in-law that Britt could not seem to find any dresses but the idea she had seemed simple and you-wouldn't-think-too-hard-to-find. "Why couldn't we just make them?" was the question asked and the next thing I knew, I had yards and yards of shimmering bridesmaid fabric sitting on my porch. Now that we're trying out another pattern, things should start taking shape soon.
My daughter is also in the wedding and is required to wear a flower girl/miniature bride dress. That project sounds really, really fun. I want to do one of those white, fluffy, full, yards and yards of tulle, little dresses. Thankfully, the boys require no sewing for this event so I'm really thankful that we have 2 boys and 1 girl in our little family, just for sewing purposes.
My schedule isn't quite full yet so we're sticking in a little camping trip next weekend. That sounds like loads of fun. We're going with a group of couples/families from church and we're just staying one night, about 45 minutes away. The plan is to split our family and Toby's brother's family between a tent and a camper... girls in one, boys in another, type of thing. The kids are really looking forward to "canting" (as they call 'camping') and Toby and I think it'll be fun to just chill and hang out for a day or two with friends and family.
Since this is a very random post, I'll fill you in on another few details...
2 applications of sun block does not keep me from burning on July 4th.
Alex is not walking yet; if he learns within the next 2 months, he will walk down the aisle at Britt's wedding. (Not exactly to commemorate his achievement but you could look at it that way if you want.)
Mowing on a gigantic John Deere tractor in a cemetery can result in tipping one gravestone over. I know because I tried it. Well, I didn't exactly try but it did happen.
A cat that mouses by pulling live mice out of a hole in the wall, five feet off the floor and then kills them and puts the dead mice on the office chair is good. A cat that "snakes" (she catches/kills snakes) and puts them in a plastic grocery bag that just happens to be laying on the floor is better; you just take the bag out and throw it away without even touching the snake. Let's just say our cat is definitely earning her keep.
Fourth of July is by far my favorite holiday. It always has been ever since I can remember.
I always look twice when I see a National Guardsman so when they're in the parade, I tend to stare. The National Guard in our town's parade is my favorite display -- even if they do tuck their pants into their boots. They're my favorite next to the Pro-Life float. I saw a quote yesterday that made a lot of sense: "You can't have Liberty and Justice for all without Life."
Fire trucks that spray water in the parade are a big hit.
Taking pictures of fireworks is easy. Getting pictures of fireworks to turn out nice is hard/difficult/next-to-impossible/etc.
Not turning all the lights out in the park where the town fireworks are displayed, is annoying and takes away from the fireworks.
Seeing 3,200 white crosses on the college lawn was stunning and shocking. We all know that many babies die every year in our country but to see a symbol of each life is heart breaking. Pray to end Abortion!
I am feeling guilty for sitting here while Toby slaves away on his Saturday morning breakfast tradition. I should at least go get the syrup on the table. Or set the plates out. Or offer 2 adult hands in a kitchen overran by toddlers.
Hope you all had a wonderful Fourth and remembered that the Liberty and Justice we have in our country is because of God. But still, our liberties would be limited if it wasn't for the freedom our country has given us to worship and live the way we want. May we never forget The Hand that turns the king's heart.
My computer is still with the Geek Squad at Best Buy. (No comment on it's "success" because I have none: they don't return my calls or answer the phone when I call.)
My generous, sisterly heart offered to make 5 bridesmaid dresses for my sister's wedding in order to pay back all that nanny service she gave us for several years. Thankfully, my sister here was the "umph" I needed to just go ahead and offer my sewing services. It happened in a phone call when I told my sister-in-law that Britt could not seem to find any dresses but the idea she had seemed simple and you-wouldn't-think-too-hard-to-find. "Why couldn't we just make them?" was the question asked and the next thing I knew, I had yards and yards of shimmering bridesmaid fabric sitting on my porch. Now that we're trying out another pattern, things should start taking shape soon.
My daughter is also in the wedding and is required to wear a flower girl/miniature bride dress. That project sounds really, really fun. I want to do one of those white, fluffy, full, yards and yards of tulle, little dresses. Thankfully, the boys require no sewing for this event so I'm really thankful that we have 2 boys and 1 girl in our little family, just for sewing purposes.
My schedule isn't quite full yet so we're sticking in a little camping trip next weekend. That sounds like loads of fun. We're going with a group of couples/families from church and we're just staying one night, about 45 minutes away. The plan is to split our family and Toby's brother's family between a tent and a camper... girls in one, boys in another, type of thing. The kids are really looking forward to "canting" (as they call 'camping') and Toby and I think it'll be fun to just chill and hang out for a day or two with friends and family.
Since this is a very random post, I'll fill you in on another few details...
2 applications of sun block does not keep me from burning on July 4th.
Alex is not walking yet; if he learns within the next 2 months, he will walk down the aisle at Britt's wedding. (Not exactly to commemorate his achievement but you could look at it that way if you want.)
Mowing on a gigantic John Deere tractor in a cemetery can result in tipping one gravestone over. I know because I tried it. Well, I didn't exactly try but it did happen.
A cat that mouses by pulling live mice out of a hole in the wall, five feet off the floor and then kills them and puts the dead mice on the office chair is good. A cat that "snakes" (she catches/kills snakes) and puts them in a plastic grocery bag that just happens to be laying on the floor is better; you just take the bag out and throw it away without even touching the snake. Let's just say our cat is definitely earning her keep.
Fourth of July is by far my favorite holiday. It always has been ever since I can remember.
I always look twice when I see a National Guardsman so when they're in the parade, I tend to stare. The National Guard in our town's parade is my favorite display -- even if they do tuck their pants into their boots. They're my favorite next to the Pro-Life float. I saw a quote yesterday that made a lot of sense: "You can't have Liberty and Justice for all without Life."
Fire trucks that spray water in the parade are a big hit.
Taking pictures of fireworks is easy. Getting pictures of fireworks to turn out nice is hard/difficult/next-to-impossible/etc.
Not turning all the lights out in the park where the town fireworks are displayed, is annoying and takes away from the fireworks.
Seeing 3,200 white crosses on the college lawn was stunning and shocking. We all know that many babies die every year in our country but to see a symbol of each life is heart breaking. Pray to end Abortion!
I am feeling guilty for sitting here while Toby slaves away on his Saturday morning breakfast tradition. I should at least go get the syrup on the table. Or set the plates out. Or offer 2 adult hands in a kitchen overran by toddlers.
Hope you all had a wonderful Fourth and remembered that the Liberty and Justice we have in our country is because of God. But still, our liberties would be limited if it wasn't for the freedom our country has given us to worship and live the way we want. May we never forget The Hand that turns the king's heart.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
On Sick Kids And Overnight Shipping
After a shockingly good night of sleep with no one asking me for a drink in the middle of the night and no one else puking, I am ready to hit the floor running. Oh wait; I already did hit the floor and in not the literal sense of the word, I am running.
I love waking up not a moment sooner than it's time to get up and realize that I had a nice, long night of sleep. I was even asleep before midnight last night so go ahead and call me an "early to bed-er." I don't mind that title once in a while in my life. Especially since I've been working on obtaining that title for quite some time now but my kids just don't seem to cooperate with my lofty aspirations.
Today looms before me in a this-is-going-to-be-a-long-and-tiring-day-way. Janae has her "final" two cavities scheduled to be filled and she is not too excited about going back. I say "final" because at 3 years old and having a dental history of 4 cavities, I have this annoying hunch that she will probably have many more cavities to fill as her life goes on.
I thought about meeting up with a friend of ours and heading to the lake as an incentive for Janae and the dentist appointment she would rather avoid but the 98 degree forecast mixed with 157% humidity made us realize that it was probably not The Best Day Of The Year To Go To The Lake. So, I'm enticing her with that tempting "Prize Box" that the dentist has at his office, just for Janae. And the fact that she has to "help" the dentist today and that they'll put a band aid in her mouth (they really do that while they're filling the teeth) and that she'll get her teeth painted, etc. etc. It's not really working. She says she doesn't want to "help" the dentist today.
Topping the situation off is Alex and the worrisome symptoms he's been fighting the past 10 days. It started with a runny nose and fever. Very predictable teething symptoms so I didn't start worrying. But, now he's got a bad cough, low grade fever off and on and a pretty good size lump under his ear (presumably a swollen lymph node.) Plus, he's been puking every morning. Well, actually, it's been 2 mornings in a row so maybe "every" is a little extreme. Especially since he's not up yet this morning so today hasn't proven itself yet. He's also quite irritable too -- except when he climbed a slide at the park and went right up into the huge playground contraption and attempted to go down another slide. He seems to be sleeping more than usual as well.
Now, if you Google all those symptoms together, you may be tempted to just call an ambulance and rush him to the doctor ASAP and assume the worse. Or just skip a doctor and head right to an oncologist instead. But, if you happen to notice in your research, woven through out the dreadful diseases that are associated with his symptoms, you will find without looking very hard that he indeed has every symptom of "The Common Cold," a "Viral Infection" and "Teething." So yeah... I'm pretty much confused/worried/don't know what to do. I have a pretty good idea that I'll end up taking him in today or tomorrow. Or maybe I won't.
Since having my third baby, I don't worry hardly at all anymore. I almost worry about the fact that I don't worry anymore. Like this last week when Landon was sick... he had a 104.5 fever late one afternoon and normally (by normally I mean, back when I only had one baby) I would've ripped his clothes off, double checked the temperature rectally, sponge bathed him in a tub of lukewarm water, put cold rags on his forehead, called the doctor, researched his symptoms online and started wondering what life was going to be like without him. But now, I just say, "Oh, that's kinda high, Bud." And I give him his next dose of Motrin, take off his shirt and ask him if he wants a Popsicle. Then we all pile in the stroller and walk down to the park.
Toby has been having some long days at work lately and it never ceases to amaze me how usually on the first hottest day of the year, he is ALWAYS on a difficult job. (high, steep, large, roof with several layers of shingles needing to be removed and new sheeting put on the roof.) It's as if he purposely must decide to do those jobs on the day of the year that is predicted to be one of the worst. Of course it's all fate and he has nothing to do with planning but seriously, this happens all. the. time.
Tonight he has Bible study at the jail so he'll just head from his job to a pit stop (where he'll "clean up" and change) and then go to jail from there. It just dawned on me that I won't see him for about 15 hours today. These kinds of days make me think that maybe I should just take a road trip and visit my family for a weekend. But, then I remember that even though it will be all of 15 hours that we're apart today, we WILL sleep in the same place tonight and that's what makes these long, hard days only part of our life and not ALL of it. So, as long as he's coming home every night, I'm gonna be there waiting for him.
Yesterday proved to be one of those "Life Is Good" days where I felt like I had gotten out of bed for a reason. About 10 loads of laundry (several with puke on them--and I just don't do puke) and tons of dirty dishes and soiled bed sheets and dirty floors and a messy house gave me so many reasons to have purpose for the day. I am not one to ask for help and usually put off doing that because I hate making people feel obligated. Or responsible for my work. Or imposing on other's days. Maybe it's a pride thing or maybe I don't want to take advantage of people, but I just do not ask for help.
But it dawned on me in the last month or so that most (and when I say most, I mean about 98.9% of families) have someone to rely on for a helping hand. Or a babysitter. And usually grandparents fill that need and are a reliable source of strength and help. But, I've noticed that a lot of my friends have someone else to rely on as well... a family member, or a young girl that comes once a week, or a close friend.... you get my point. I realized that in each case, a relationship was established first and then the "we're here for each other" mode kicked in and just like that, every major task you faced is shared with this close person.
A young girl in our area has repeatedly offered to help me and I decided to just take her up on that offer. I mean really, she did offer several times. And I did have a house full of puke. When I called, I found out she had company for the day but was more than able to watch my kids at her house if that would help me out. I jumped on that and for 4 hours, I got ALL my work done. That hasn't happened in probably 3 months or so. And I'm talking about house jobs that most people do once a week.
Even though I only have 3 kids and the older two are becoming more responsible in doing tasks I give them, there is still the constant supervision that can become so distracting when you're trying to get something done yourself. Hanging your head over a toilet while you clean it out makes it hard to watch the kids across the house that are fighting over who gets to put the spoons away. Running downstairs to switch a load of laundry gives a three-year-old just enough time to run out the front door and hide in the van. Vacuuming in the living room also gives the said child ample time to find her vitamins in the fridge and run to her room with a mouthful of pills and the rest of the bottle heading to a place under her bed. Or the four-year-old will decide to wash his hands with a half-a-bottle of soap simply because you are in the kitchen sweeping and can't see him.
Needless to say, I really appreciated the effort made by the family that kept the kids for a few hours. And from the dirty faces and feet and happy smiles, I have a pretty good idea that Landon and Janae enjoyed digging in a sandbox, playing with bunnies and swinging in a tire swing that went higher than our roof. Landon's only concern was when he came home, found a clean house and a stray blanket laying haphazardly on the floor in his room... "What's that doing there Mom?"
Since this has turned into a "Family Update" post, I may as well top it off with the latest marvel in my life: Free Overnight Shipping! I can't seem to wrap my head around that magical phenomenon! It must be another marvel of the 21st century like the Internet is.
The Internet is one thing I never can quite understand... all these websites that have no tangible location where everything is headquartered at. It's like we connect with drifting planets that sweep back and forth through the atmosphere and through invisible and technical connections, we connect wirelessly. Have you ever thought that The Internet is the place where gazillions of websites are based in but there's no huge building any where in the world that is a physical location where the website sits? No monumental location of "The First Ebay Website." No parking at the building of "Blogger.com" where you can go to see the real-life permutations of the places you visit daily from your desk chair. There is no such thing. Are these all figments of our imaginations and we've all become equally disillusioned? Are we an entire society wrapped up in imaginary places? (I hope you're not taking me seriously.)
Back to Free Overnight Shipping... I ordered some sandals from a website late yesterday and according to my order sheet (and the guy who answered the phone when I called the company just to make sure this was all for real), my package is destined to arrive today. Like, sometime today. I placed my order late yesterday... as in, almost evening time. And they're supposed to come today. Now, I don't know where this company is located but I can guarantee I haven't seen this store title any where around here. But, just waiting for my order, an airplane sat parked on the runway in hopes that my credit card would send an instant signal for a pair of sandals to be put on that plane and when that happened, down the runway the jet sailed, all the way to an airport near me where the package was then put on a truck and sent directly to my doorstep.
In a matter of hours.
For free.
I just don't understand that. No wonder the economy is crashing -- the whole world is revolving around a stupid pair of sandals that set the course for a whole night's job for a huge chain of people and planes and trucks and companies for free.
I can promise you I'll enjoy those sandals. Unless they don't fit. Then they go back to the place they came from and I don't pay a cent for that either because it's called, "Free Return Shipping." I know... life just isn't fair, is it?
Well, that about sums up the gist of my blog moment for the day. Gotta get back to the grind and get the kids cleaned up and fed and out the door to the dentist office. I keep hearing a three-year-old make interesting noises on the floor above me and I have a pretty good idea she's looking for another dose of her vitamins while I'm not looking.
I love waking up not a moment sooner than it's time to get up and realize that I had a nice, long night of sleep. I was even asleep before midnight last night so go ahead and call me an "early to bed-er." I don't mind that title once in a while in my life. Especially since I've been working on obtaining that title for quite some time now but my kids just don't seem to cooperate with my lofty aspirations.
Today looms before me in a this-is-going-to-be-a-long-and-tiring-day-way. Janae has her "final" two cavities scheduled to be filled and she is not too excited about going back. I say "final" because at 3 years old and having a dental history of 4 cavities, I have this annoying hunch that she will probably have many more cavities to fill as her life goes on.
I thought about meeting up with a friend of ours and heading to the lake as an incentive for Janae and the dentist appointment she would rather avoid but the 98 degree forecast mixed with 157% humidity made us realize that it was probably not The Best Day Of The Year To Go To The Lake. So, I'm enticing her with that tempting "Prize Box" that the dentist has at his office, just for Janae. And the fact that she has to "help" the dentist today and that they'll put a band aid in her mouth (they really do that while they're filling the teeth) and that she'll get her teeth painted, etc. etc. It's not really working. She says she doesn't want to "help" the dentist today.
Topping the situation off is Alex and the worrisome symptoms he's been fighting the past 10 days. It started with a runny nose and fever. Very predictable teething symptoms so I didn't start worrying. But, now he's got a bad cough, low grade fever off and on and a pretty good size lump under his ear (presumably a swollen lymph node.) Plus, he's been puking every morning. Well, actually, it's been 2 mornings in a row so maybe "every" is a little extreme. Especially since he's not up yet this morning so today hasn't proven itself yet. He's also quite irritable too -- except when he climbed a slide at the park and went right up into the huge playground contraption and attempted to go down another slide. He seems to be sleeping more than usual as well.
Now, if you Google all those symptoms together, you may be tempted to just call an ambulance and rush him to the doctor ASAP and assume the worse. Or just skip a doctor and head right to an oncologist instead. But, if you happen to notice in your research, woven through out the dreadful diseases that are associated with his symptoms, you will find without looking very hard that he indeed has every symptom of "The Common Cold," a "Viral Infection" and "Teething." So yeah... I'm pretty much confused/worried/don't know what to do. I have a pretty good idea that I'll end up taking him in today or tomorrow. Or maybe I won't.
Since having my third baby, I don't worry hardly at all anymore. I almost worry about the fact that I don't worry anymore. Like this last week when Landon was sick... he had a 104.5 fever late one afternoon and normally (by normally I mean, back when I only had one baby) I would've ripped his clothes off, double checked the temperature rectally, sponge bathed him in a tub of lukewarm water, put cold rags on his forehead, called the doctor, researched his symptoms online and started wondering what life was going to be like without him. But now, I just say, "Oh, that's kinda high, Bud." And I give him his next dose of Motrin, take off his shirt and ask him if he wants a Popsicle. Then we all pile in the stroller and walk down to the park.
Toby has been having some long days at work lately and it never ceases to amaze me how usually on the first hottest day of the year, he is ALWAYS on a difficult job. (high, steep, large, roof with several layers of shingles needing to be removed and new sheeting put on the roof.) It's as if he purposely must decide to do those jobs on the day of the year that is predicted to be one of the worst. Of course it's all fate and he has nothing to do with planning but seriously, this happens all. the. time.
Tonight he has Bible study at the jail so he'll just head from his job to a pit stop (where he'll "clean up" and change) and then go to jail from there. It just dawned on me that I won't see him for about 15 hours today. These kinds of days make me think that maybe I should just take a road trip and visit my family for a weekend. But, then I remember that even though it will be all of 15 hours that we're apart today, we WILL sleep in the same place tonight and that's what makes these long, hard days only part of our life and not ALL of it. So, as long as he's coming home every night, I'm gonna be there waiting for him.
Yesterday proved to be one of those "Life Is Good" days where I felt like I had gotten out of bed for a reason. About 10 loads of laundry (several with puke on them--and I just don't do puke) and tons of dirty dishes and soiled bed sheets and dirty floors and a messy house gave me so many reasons to have purpose for the day. I am not one to ask for help and usually put off doing that because I hate making people feel obligated. Or responsible for my work. Or imposing on other's days. Maybe it's a pride thing or maybe I don't want to take advantage of people, but I just do not ask for help.
But it dawned on me in the last month or so that most (and when I say most, I mean about 98.9% of families) have someone to rely on for a helping hand. Or a babysitter. And usually grandparents fill that need and are a reliable source of strength and help. But, I've noticed that a lot of my friends have someone else to rely on as well... a family member, or a young girl that comes once a week, or a close friend.... you get my point. I realized that in each case, a relationship was established first and then the "we're here for each other" mode kicked in and just like that, every major task you faced is shared with this close person.
A young girl in our area has repeatedly offered to help me and I decided to just take her up on that offer. I mean really, she did offer several times. And I did have a house full of puke. When I called, I found out she had company for the day but was more than able to watch my kids at her house if that would help me out. I jumped on that and for 4 hours, I got ALL my work done. That hasn't happened in probably 3 months or so. And I'm talking about house jobs that most people do once a week.
Even though I only have 3 kids and the older two are becoming more responsible in doing tasks I give them, there is still the constant supervision that can become so distracting when you're trying to get something done yourself. Hanging your head over a toilet while you clean it out makes it hard to watch the kids across the house that are fighting over who gets to put the spoons away. Running downstairs to switch a load of laundry gives a three-year-old just enough time to run out the front door and hide in the van. Vacuuming in the living room also gives the said child ample time to find her vitamins in the fridge and run to her room with a mouthful of pills and the rest of the bottle heading to a place under her bed. Or the four-year-old will decide to wash his hands with a half-a-bottle of soap simply because you are in the kitchen sweeping and can't see him.
Needless to say, I really appreciated the effort made by the family that kept the kids for a few hours. And from the dirty faces and feet and happy smiles, I have a pretty good idea that Landon and Janae enjoyed digging in a sandbox, playing with bunnies and swinging in a tire swing that went higher than our roof. Landon's only concern was when he came home, found a clean house and a stray blanket laying haphazardly on the floor in his room... "What's that doing there Mom?"
Since this has turned into a "Family Update" post, I may as well top it off with the latest marvel in my life: Free Overnight Shipping! I can't seem to wrap my head around that magical phenomenon! It must be another marvel of the 21st century like the Internet is.
The Internet is one thing I never can quite understand... all these websites that have no tangible location where everything is headquartered at. It's like we connect with drifting planets that sweep back and forth through the atmosphere and through invisible and technical connections, we connect wirelessly. Have you ever thought that The Internet is the place where gazillions of websites are based in but there's no huge building any where in the world that is a physical location where the website sits? No monumental location of "The First Ebay Website." No parking at the building of "Blogger.com" where you can go to see the real-life permutations of the places you visit daily from your desk chair. There is no such thing. Are these all figments of our imaginations and we've all become equally disillusioned? Are we an entire society wrapped up in imaginary places? (I hope you're not taking me seriously.)
Back to Free Overnight Shipping... I ordered some sandals from a website late yesterday and according to my order sheet (and the guy who answered the phone when I called the company just to make sure this was all for real), my package is destined to arrive today. Like, sometime today. I placed my order late yesterday... as in, almost evening time. And they're supposed to come today. Now, I don't know where this company is located but I can guarantee I haven't seen this store title any where around here. But, just waiting for my order, an airplane sat parked on the runway in hopes that my credit card would send an instant signal for a pair of sandals to be put on that plane and when that happened, down the runway the jet sailed, all the way to an airport near me where the package was then put on a truck and sent directly to my doorstep.
In a matter of hours.
For free.
I just don't understand that. No wonder the economy is crashing -- the whole world is revolving around a stupid pair of sandals that set the course for a whole night's job for a huge chain of people and planes and trucks and companies for free.
I can promise you I'll enjoy those sandals. Unless they don't fit. Then they go back to the place they came from and I don't pay a cent for that either because it's called, "Free Return Shipping." I know... life just isn't fair, is it?
Well, that about sums up the gist of my blog moment for the day. Gotta get back to the grind and get the kids cleaned up and fed and out the door to the dentist office. I keep hearing a three-year-old make interesting noises on the floor above me and I have a pretty good idea she's looking for another dose of her vitamins while I'm not looking.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Just Another Day
All afternoon yesterday, my computer worked fine. Just fine. Even when I picked it up and set it down a couple times. I credit it to flipping it over and smacking the underside just hours prior to when it started functioning correctly. Today now, nothing on my computer is working. I saw my email screen for about 2.9 seconds and then the Code Blue screen took over from there. That's pretty much how it's been going ever since.
I read yesterday's paper today, minus the Sports section. I feel bad that with all the words that somebody takes time to put in the paper, it's doubtful that most papers get entirely read. I mean, who has time to read every word and section of the paper? I think the paper is slightly under rated; you should take time and learn about all the police calls and business changes that happen daily in your world, in your town and in your neighborhoods. You might be surprised -- even if it is day old news.
My mom called today to tell me she was having surgery this afternoon. Just like that... "How ya doin? What's goin' on? I'm having surgery today. How's your day?" Yeah. Basically like that. 536 miles really hurts today. Especially considering part of our route is under water in Iowa. Right before she called, I was reading in the paper how some Iowans are taking plane trips between towns that normally are 30 minutes apart on the road. But, with the flooding, the recommended detour takes hours. The plane ride results in about 15 minutes of travel time. Not bad but also not entirely promising when you have a van load of luggage and you NEED to drive on that stretch of road that would normally take minutes. I wonder if those little Cessnas would have luggage room for a Honda Odyssey?
Seriously though, the long distant family members advised me to not worry; this was an "outpatient" operation and would not be considered high risk. That's fine and I'm glad but really, the destination I'm thinking of that's at the end of that 536 miles feels like it may as well be at the other side of the globe. I want to go "home."
I woke up with a sore throat and most of the cold-like symptoms that go with a.... you guessed it: A Cold. Janae's lip is still swollen and kind of whitish but she's not complaining. Ironically enough, she just fell out of bed when I started writing about her lip. I've learned that with her, if she's critically injured, she doesn't really cry. So, if after hearing a thud and you notice there is no crying/wailing/sobbing or other injury related sounds, it is best to examine the scene and make sure she is okay. But, in the event you do hear sounds of "general displeasure," she's in fact and in deed perfectly fine. (It was the latter in her case today). If falling out of bed results in prolonging the impending naptime that usually comes with being in bed this time of day, she'll take that option.
Well, this post is rather disconnected and dismantled. I'm on the basement computer today so can find no inspiration from the windows I need to be motivated by while writing a blog. I know that's weird but really, this is another proven piece of evidence that supports my theory. So, chalk it up to that and the fact that last night, the cat caught a mouse just feet from where I'm sitting. Bless. her. heart. The world is one mouse short because of our cat.
I read yesterday's paper today, minus the Sports section. I feel bad that with all the words that somebody takes time to put in the paper, it's doubtful that most papers get entirely read. I mean, who has time to read every word and section of the paper? I think the paper is slightly under rated; you should take time and learn about all the police calls and business changes that happen daily in your world, in your town and in your neighborhoods. You might be surprised -- even if it is day old news.
My mom called today to tell me she was having surgery this afternoon. Just like that... "How ya doin? What's goin' on? I'm having surgery today. How's your day?" Yeah. Basically like that. 536 miles really hurts today. Especially considering part of our route is under water in Iowa. Right before she called, I was reading in the paper how some Iowans are taking plane trips between towns that normally are 30 minutes apart on the road. But, with the flooding, the recommended detour takes hours. The plane ride results in about 15 minutes of travel time. Not bad but also not entirely promising when you have a van load of luggage and you NEED to drive on that stretch of road that would normally take minutes. I wonder if those little Cessnas would have luggage room for a Honda Odyssey?
Seriously though, the long distant family members advised me to not worry; this was an "outpatient" operation and would not be considered high risk. That's fine and I'm glad but really, the destination I'm thinking of that's at the end of that 536 miles feels like it may as well be at the other side of the globe. I want to go "home."
I woke up with a sore throat and most of the cold-like symptoms that go with a.... you guessed it: A Cold. Janae's lip is still swollen and kind of whitish but she's not complaining. Ironically enough, she just fell out of bed when I started writing about her lip. I've learned that with her, if she's critically injured, she doesn't really cry. So, if after hearing a thud and you notice there is no crying/wailing/sobbing or other injury related sounds, it is best to examine the scene and make sure she is okay. But, in the event you do hear sounds of "general displeasure," she's in fact and in deed perfectly fine. (It was the latter in her case today). If falling out of bed results in prolonging the impending naptime that usually comes with being in bed this time of day, she'll take that option.
Well, this post is rather disconnected and dismantled. I'm on the basement computer today so can find no inspiration from the windows I need to be motivated by while writing a blog. I know that's weird but really, this is another proven piece of evidence that supports my theory. So, chalk it up to that and the fact that last night, the cat caught a mouse just feet from where I'm sitting. Bless. her. heart. The world is one mouse short because of our cat.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Facts That Until Now Were Unblogged
March 2 Was A Big Day For Landon. He turned 4, started Sunday School and shared a birthday party with 2 cousins who also share his birthday month. He even got a guitar that day.
Janae Hasn't Participated In Any Breaking News. At least for a few days now. And that in itself is worth commenting on. (Knocking really hard on wood right now...)
Alex Has His Own Room. Or, at least is the only one that sleeps in the living room. He gets a whole full corner to himself which is actually a big deal because our living room only really has 1 full corner. Best of all, he is sleeping so much better now... or should I just say that I am since I can't hear him everytime he cries or makes noise during the night.
Our Basement Will Soon Be Listed In The Guinness Book Of Records. Seriously, it has got to be the world's most challenging basement to waterproof. The Basement Professionals have been here going-on-three-times and it won't be until the middle of March before we know if the problem is fixed. I wouldn't be surprised if they just throw in the towel and give us our money back and advise us to just put a swimming pool down there.
Our Van Demanded A Replacement. If you are wondering why, I'll just say that it would take less time to tell you what was right/unbroke/safe about it than to tell you what was wrong/destroyed/damaged about it. The Lord blessed us with a perfect solution and we were glad to find just what we were looking for right away.
We Made Flubber. And I thought it was a good idea until I went out of the room to talk to Toby (I should've known better) and came back to find blue flubber all over the floor, the table, our bed, up and down and around Janae's pajamas and deep within the fibers of a few spots in the carpet. If you don't know what Flubber is, here's the recipe and a video. The kids spent *literally* hours playing with it.
Toby Is A Really Good Husband. But I bet you all knew that already? Even after 5 years of marriage, it still dawns on me during the few quiet spots in my day that I am married and live with a charming and good husband. I still can't believe it.
Last And Least I Have No Interesting News On Me. So, I guess that's all I have to say about that.
Janae Hasn't Participated In Any Breaking News. At least for a few days now. And that in itself is worth commenting on. (Knocking really hard on wood right now...)
Alex Has His Own Room. Or, at least is the only one that sleeps in the living room. He gets a whole full corner to himself which is actually a big deal because our living room only really has 1 full corner. Best of all, he is sleeping so much better now... or should I just say that I am since I can't hear him everytime he cries or makes noise during the night.
Our Basement Will Soon Be Listed In The Guinness Book Of Records. Seriously, it has got to be the world's most challenging basement to waterproof. The Basement Professionals have been here going-on-three-times and it won't be until the middle of March before we know if the problem is fixed. I wouldn't be surprised if they just throw in the towel and give us our money back and advise us to just put a swimming pool down there.
Our Van Demanded A Replacement. If you are wondering why, I'll just say that it would take less time to tell you what was right/unbroke/safe about it than to tell you what was wrong/destroyed/damaged about it. The Lord blessed us with a perfect solution and we were glad to find just what we were looking for right away.
We Made Flubber. And I thought it was a good idea until I went out of the room to talk to Toby (I should've known better) and came back to find blue flubber all over the floor, the table, our bed, up and down and around Janae's pajamas and deep within the fibers of a few spots in the carpet. If you don't know what Flubber is, here's the recipe and a video. The kids spent *literally* hours playing with it.
Toby Is A Really Good Husband. But I bet you all knew that already? Even after 5 years of marriage, it still dawns on me during the few quiet spots in my day that I am married and live with a charming and good husband. I still can't believe it.
Last And Least I Have No Interesting News On Me. So, I guess that's all I have to say about that.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
On Technology and Trying Times
I have been unable to keep up with my "regular" posting for one reason: my computer blitzed. Or crashed. Or broke down. Or the hard drive went bad. Or technically failed. Or basically, in simple english, it won't turn on all the way. I have so many "save draft" posts that I can finally blame on something... even though I haven't been in blogger since my computer froze up or broke or whatever it did and all those drafts were saved before this trauma came to my life in the form of a faulty computer. Who knows how many of those "save draft" posts I would've published had my computer been working.
So, I have been doing other things. Like, laundry, cleaning mud and snow and dirt, cooking and getting sick. For such an abrupt hiatus from the world wide web, I should be able to speak of getting more done in my life. You know, those projects we always talk about getting done the day we happen to have extra time? Well, I've had that extra time but I haven't really gotten much extra done. The day after my computer took sick, I took sick too and had myself a nice dose of the flu. That kind of effects one's overall productivity for the day: I was lucky to get dressed one day... let alone do the list of stuff I had planned to do that day.
Anyway, I said all that to say life has taken an unexpected sabbatical from life as I knew it since my computer crashed or broke or whatever it did so, if you don't see me on here much, you'll know why. We are working on resolving the computer issue... hopefully soon.
The reason I can blog today is because my husband (bless his heart) is working in the frigid cold of the midwest prairie on a high, steep roof (bless his heart) clearing almost feet of snow in order to save a home from perpetual leakage by replacing the roof (bless his heart) and with numbed, frozen fingers, he will personally place all of the shingles he himself installs on that roof (bless his heart) and of all the houses in that neighborhood, those folks will have the best roof... and the only roof without snow on it all because of my husband (bless his heart) is working so dilligently in the cold today. I said all that to say that if he was not out working today, I would not be on this computer; he tends to not be so generous with his computer when he's home (bless his heart).
As for the kids these days, they are well. Alex enjoys the night time schedule of getting up every 2-3 hours and getting some one-on-one time with his mother. I was so tired one night, I unexpectedly fell asleep and then woke right after he unexpectedly fell out of bed. I was hoping that somehow that unexpected miss-hap would help him understand that his bed is truly the best bed to be in at night but, nope... he resumed his schedule 3 hours later. And yes, he was fine and showed not a mark from the unexpected tumble.
Janae is good. Busy as ever. All female. The wheel that keeps her brothers running... sometimes literally. (You'd run too if she bit you.) She is such a charmer at the same time. It's like having two extremes in one package; it's hard to seperate the equasion. The other day I found a little khaki A-line skirt I had stored away for her when she got a little taller. Well, the day came when she got a little taller so I had her try it on. It fit perfect. And she was as pleased as ever to get to wear it. Landon called her "Hannah Wissmann" for the rest of the day. I guess they both were pretty impressed with the "new look."
Landon is good too. He got to help Toby and some friends slaughter a cow/beef the other day. I was glad to stay home and thought I'd (fortunately) miss out on the excitement at the butcher shop. I should've known that Landon was going to be like a sponge soaking up each detail when he got up that morning and informed his dad that he was "ready to go shoot some cows." He has told me every detail, both little and big, about the whole process of slaughtering cows. And he's full of questions. Why do they have blood? Why didn't the gun have fire? Did the cow want to live?
Toby is also doing good. After his own computer gave him some issues to deal with, he is back on track with his internet work and the other computer work he has to get done in order to manage their business. The homeshow is looming ahead of us and promises a lot of excitement for the rest of the week. Toby usually manages the prep for the homeshow and his brother usually manages the actual homeshow itself. It works out well for them since the they can keep the regular business work running before and during the homeshow and yet still complete the necessary set-up and mantainance for the homeshow. I have always been impressed with how those two brothers seems to have unwritten rules and ways of automatically doing things.
For those of you that have called our house recently and got a strange recording of high decible UFO flying by, do not panic: it is just our fax machine kicking in uninvited before the friendly answering machine. We are working on resolving the issue. What I mean by "working on" is that I have told Toby about it for the past 2 months and he agrees he needs to change the fax setting. So, it should be resolved in the next month. Or two. Maybe.
The caller ID still works... except when we are already on the phone. If you call while I am in the middle of another call, I will not be able to see your name so therefore, may likely ignore your call due to the increased number of salesmen that call us on a daily basis. I think they got our number off the Do Not Call list. Seriously.
And, if you call at mealtime while we're on the phone, I will automatically assume you are a salesman so will usually 100% of the time ignore your call. So don't call at mealtime like our salesmen seem to do. Ever since the internet threatened to take leave from our house earlier this week, and even after having the technician come out twice, not 24 hours apart, this issue began with the phone. We will work on resolving this technical problem as well.
In a nutshell, we are all doing fine, it's just all these technically advanced components of our household seem to be experiencing a set back. I echo the words of my wise husband: "I hate technology." There, that feels better to get that out.
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As if to prove my point of technilogical errors, the spell check will not function on this post. I apologize for any misspellings and I assure you we are working on resolving this issue... hopefully soon.
So, I have been doing other things. Like, laundry, cleaning mud and snow and dirt, cooking and getting sick. For such an abrupt hiatus from the world wide web, I should be able to speak of getting more done in my life. You know, those projects we always talk about getting done the day we happen to have extra time? Well, I've had that extra time but I haven't really gotten much extra done. The day after my computer took sick, I took sick too and had myself a nice dose of the flu. That kind of effects one's overall productivity for the day: I was lucky to get dressed one day... let alone do the list of stuff I had planned to do that day.
Anyway, I said all that to say life has taken an unexpected sabbatical from life as I knew it since my computer crashed or broke or whatever it did so, if you don't see me on here much, you'll know why. We are working on resolving the computer issue... hopefully soon.
The reason I can blog today is because my husband (bless his heart) is working in the frigid cold of the midwest prairie on a high, steep roof (bless his heart) clearing almost feet of snow in order to save a home from perpetual leakage by replacing the roof (bless his heart) and with numbed, frozen fingers, he will personally place all of the shingles he himself installs on that roof (bless his heart) and of all the houses in that neighborhood, those folks will have the best roof... and the only roof without snow on it all because of my husband (bless his heart) is working so dilligently in the cold today. I said all that to say that if he was not out working today, I would not be on this computer; he tends to not be so generous with his computer when he's home (bless his heart).
As for the kids these days, they are well. Alex enjoys the night time schedule of getting up every 2-3 hours and getting some one-on-one time with his mother. I was so tired one night, I unexpectedly fell asleep and then woke right after he unexpectedly fell out of bed. I was hoping that somehow that unexpected miss-hap would help him understand that his bed is truly the best bed to be in at night but, nope... he resumed his schedule 3 hours later. And yes, he was fine and showed not a mark from the unexpected tumble.
Janae is good. Busy as ever. All female. The wheel that keeps her brothers running... sometimes literally. (You'd run too if she bit you.) She is such a charmer at the same time. It's like having two extremes in one package; it's hard to seperate the equasion. The other day I found a little khaki A-line skirt I had stored away for her when she got a little taller. Well, the day came when she got a little taller so I had her try it on. It fit perfect. And she was as pleased as ever to get to wear it. Landon called her "Hannah Wissmann" for the rest of the day. I guess they both were pretty impressed with the "new look."
Landon is good too. He got to help Toby and some friends slaughter a cow/beef the other day. I was glad to stay home and thought I'd (fortunately) miss out on the excitement at the butcher shop. I should've known that Landon was going to be like a sponge soaking up each detail when he got up that morning and informed his dad that he was "ready to go shoot some cows." He has told me every detail, both little and big, about the whole process of slaughtering cows. And he's full of questions. Why do they have blood? Why didn't the gun have fire? Did the cow want to live?
Toby is also doing good. After his own computer gave him some issues to deal with, he is back on track with his internet work and the other computer work he has to get done in order to manage their business. The homeshow is looming ahead of us and promises a lot of excitement for the rest of the week. Toby usually manages the prep for the homeshow and his brother usually manages the actual homeshow itself. It works out well for them since the they can keep the regular business work running before and during the homeshow and yet still complete the necessary set-up and mantainance for the homeshow. I have always been impressed with how those two brothers seems to have unwritten rules and ways of automatically doing things.
For those of you that have called our house recently and got a strange recording of high decible UFO flying by, do not panic: it is just our fax machine kicking in uninvited before the friendly answering machine. We are working on resolving the issue. What I mean by "working on" is that I have told Toby about it for the past 2 months and he agrees he needs to change the fax setting. So, it should be resolved in the next month. Or two. Maybe.
The caller ID still works... except when we are already on the phone. If you call while I am in the middle of another call, I will not be able to see your name so therefore, may likely ignore your call due to the increased number of salesmen that call us on a daily basis. I think they got our number off the Do Not Call list. Seriously.
And, if you call at mealtime while we're on the phone, I will automatically assume you are a salesman so will usually 100% of the time ignore your call. So don't call at mealtime like our salesmen seem to do. Ever since the internet threatened to take leave from our house earlier this week, and even after having the technician come out twice, not 24 hours apart, this issue began with the phone. We will work on resolving this technical problem as well.
In a nutshell, we are all doing fine, it's just all these technically advanced components of our household seem to be experiencing a set back. I echo the words of my wise husband: "I hate technology." There, that feels better to get that out.
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As if to prove my point of technilogical errors, the spell check will not function on this post. I apologize for any misspellings and I assure you we are working on resolving this issue... hopefully soon.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
New News
But, what is news if it's not new? :)
May 11 is a new and exciting date for us: we're moving!
Through a turn of events that we've been waiting for but not expecting to quite happen like this, we're actually moving to Milford, not Seward. (Why did I ever say I'd NEVER live in Milford??? Yes, eating my words again...)
A little back ground... For the past several months, we've been preparing financially, prayerfully and spending a lot of time researching houses for sale. Every option we thought we had, something would turn up sour. Either we didn't have peace or the house was just not what we wanted.
Recently our tax money surprised us in a good way and that never happens when you own your own business. Just a week ago, Toby called me with the news that he had just talked to our tax accountant and found out that we were actually going to put a certain amount of money in our own savings this year, not Uncle Sam's.
On the tail end of that news, this house opened up for us. It's amazing too because this house has been for sale for several months and there's no reason why it shouldn't have sold by now. Somehow we never saw it advertised either. Which is amazing considering we combed all the ads and websites of houses for sale and never saw this one.
Other interesting details follow. When we bought our first fixer upper 3 1/2 years ago, our plan was to fix it up over a 2-3 year period, sell it and then buy another fixer upper. Repeat until we were debt free. When the 2-3 year period came to a close, we re-evaluated some ideas we had and decided to step out of that plan for awhile. It was a good time to rethink motives, options, family plans, etc. and pursue other things.
But, then when we started looking at our future and the goals and purposes we wanted for our family, it was hard to figure out how to balance church life and even work life with where our current home was situated. It is next to impossible to be involved with our church and with many of our friends and yet live so far away from them all. The challenge to maintain relationships was making it very difficult to actually participate in a lot of what we normally would've been involved in.
So, we started thinking about moving. We had a mental list of the things the next house would have to have and the price range we would stay in. I mentioned to Toby one time that we needed to remember that when we bought our first fixer-upper, we had no children. This time around, we'll have 3. The condition of the house needed to be a bit more livable than the last house was at first. He agreed entirely with me but couldn't promise that it would go that way, which I understood.
We could only hope and pray.
When we stepped foot into this house, we found everything to be very much in move in condition. Except for washing walls and eliminating a mild cigarette smoke smell, this house is ready for a young family too busy to make improvements right at first. The entire upstairs has been updated and remodeled so our decision was based on if the basement had potential for improvement, which would ultimately increase the value of the house once Toby fixed it up.
So, the upstairs was ideal, even more so than we had ever hoped but what about the basement?
As we headed downstairs, we found the lower portion of the home to be more ideal than we could've even dreamed of. 8' foot ceilings, nice new windows and a space for a second bath, the potential waiting down there is endless.
I looked at Toby and he had that "I'll take it" look on his face.
We then made an offer. We shot kinda low (at our realtor's advice) and expected a counter offer. The sellers surprised us by accepting exactly what we offered and under our terms.
It seems like it's been go, go, go right from the start. At this point, we're waiting on inspections and other legal stuff to go through but with the way everything looks, there should be no problems.
If I'm not blogging real regular, you'll understand where my focus is: get packed, moved and settled before the baby comes! I'll post updates as they evolve so stay tuned.
May 11 is a new and exciting date for us: we're moving!
Through a turn of events that we've been waiting for but not expecting to quite happen like this, we're actually moving to Milford, not Seward. (Why did I ever say I'd NEVER live in Milford??? Yes, eating my words again...)
A little back ground... For the past several months, we've been preparing financially, prayerfully and spending a lot of time researching houses for sale. Every option we thought we had, something would turn up sour. Either we didn't have peace or the house was just not what we wanted.
Recently our tax money surprised us in a good way and that never happens when you own your own business. Just a week ago, Toby called me with the news that he had just talked to our tax accountant and found out that we were actually going to put a certain amount of money in our own savings this year, not Uncle Sam's.
On the tail end of that news, this house opened up for us. It's amazing too because this house has been for sale for several months and there's no reason why it shouldn't have sold by now. Somehow we never saw it advertised either. Which is amazing considering we combed all the ads and websites of houses for sale and never saw this one.
Other interesting details follow. When we bought our first fixer upper 3 1/2 years ago, our plan was to fix it up over a 2-3 year period, sell it and then buy another fixer upper. Repeat until we were debt free. When the 2-3 year period came to a close, we re-evaluated some ideas we had and decided to step out of that plan for awhile. It was a good time to rethink motives, options, family plans, etc. and pursue other things.
But, then when we started looking at our future and the goals and purposes we wanted for our family, it was hard to figure out how to balance church life and even work life with where our current home was situated. It is next to impossible to be involved with our church and with many of our friends and yet live so far away from them all. The challenge to maintain relationships was making it very difficult to actually participate in a lot of what we normally would've been involved in.
So, we started thinking about moving. We had a mental list of the things the next house would have to have and the price range we would stay in. I mentioned to Toby one time that we needed to remember that when we bought our first fixer-upper, we had no children. This time around, we'll have 3. The condition of the house needed to be a bit more livable than the last house was at first. He agreed entirely with me but couldn't promise that it would go that way, which I understood.
We could only hope and pray.
When we stepped foot into this house, we found everything to be very much in move in condition. Except for washing walls and eliminating a mild cigarette smoke smell, this house is ready for a young family too busy to make improvements right at first. The entire upstairs has been updated and remodeled so our decision was based on if the basement had potential for improvement, which would ultimately increase the value of the house once Toby fixed it up.
So, the upstairs was ideal, even more so than we had ever hoped but what about the basement?
As we headed downstairs, we found the lower portion of the home to be more ideal than we could've even dreamed of. 8' foot ceilings, nice new windows and a space for a second bath, the potential waiting down there is endless.
I looked at Toby and he had that "I'll take it" look on his face.
We then made an offer. We shot kinda low (at our realtor's advice) and expected a counter offer. The sellers surprised us by accepting exactly what we offered and under our terms.
It seems like it's been go, go, go right from the start. At this point, we're waiting on inspections and other legal stuff to go through but with the way everything looks, there should be no problems.
If I'm not blogging real regular, you'll understand where my focus is: get packed, moved and settled before the baby comes! I'll post updates as they evolve so stay tuned.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
The Cranky Bug
Sunday was only a short reprieve. Fevers, bad coughs and colds returned by Sunday evening. Weird virus. Watch out if you get it: it has a deceiving end.
The worst symptom of this virus is not the low grade fevers or the constant dripping noses. Rather, it's the overwhelming crabbiness and emotionalism in the person inflicted by the fever.
I have never given Tylenol for a low grade fever before but when it's accompanied with this level of crankiness, the meds seem to quickly relieve unhappy faces. Seriously, when it comes to meds, I am a stickler in letting the fever burn itself out as long as it's not above 104. (My kids seem to quickly spike to 105 so I usually try to keep on top of it when it gets to that height.) But, with the crying and fussing that continued eternally through out the day, I was ready to try anything. And Tylenol worked better than running away would've. (I can't run very fast or far right now).
So, if you have the occasion to come in contact with this bug, remember two things:
The worst symptom of this virus is not the low grade fevers or the constant dripping noses. Rather, it's the overwhelming crabbiness and emotionalism in the person inflicted by the fever.
I have never given Tylenol for a low grade fever before but when it's accompanied with this level of crankiness, the meds seem to quickly relieve unhappy faces. Seriously, when it comes to meds, I am a stickler in letting the fever burn itself out as long as it's not above 104. (My kids seem to quickly spike to 105 so I usually try to keep on top of it when it gets to that height.) But, with the crying and fussing that continued eternally through out the day, I was ready to try anything. And Tylenol worked better than running away would've. (I can't run very fast or far right now).
So, if you have the occasion to come in contact with this bug, remember two things:
- the virus likes to play around when it comes to leaving and will tease you for several days about when it's departure date is.
- it should be adequately referred to as The Cranky Bug.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Procrastinated Blog
I feel bad my posting schedule has been so scarce lately. I just haven't had much to blog about and not only that but there's been other distractions that seem to take priority over my computer.
We've had sickness again but everyone is on the mend. I stayed home from Church today with Landon because his cough is still pretty thick. He sounds worse than he is though. Even I got this bug so there was another reason why I wasn't blogging.
This past week was very busy. I had routine pregnancy blood work that left me exhausted, thanks to the Rhogam shot. For those of you that are blessed to not know what this is, I have negative blood and have to be inoculated with each pregnancy in order to protect the currant baby as well as any future children.
The real culprit of my writers block is the fact that my iron is way too low. Thus the brain fog, fatigue, endless sleeping, never feeling rested way of life I've been living the past couple weeks. Now that I know my problem, I'm pumping iron and working on fixing it but it takes a good week or two to see improvement.
I was so glad to know my iron was that low. FINALLY, something can fix my problem! I kept mulling through my days wondering how in the world I'd ever be able to handle 3 children when I couldn't even take care of my 2. What is wrong with me? I'd shake my head and ask myself. It may sound strange but I was so glad my iron numbers were really low.
So, now that my energy is starting to climb, I'm tackling major procrastinated projects everyday. Plus, we have another birthday coming up this week and with the nice weather we've been having almost every day, our normal days our filled with extra activity. I love spring time with little ones around!
The other day was a good energy booster. I was feeling my normal, tired self by mid-morning but knew I couldn't take a nap for several hours. So, I contemplated my predicament and out of the blue, a horrible vision filled my mind of our extremely dirty van. And suddenly, I had to do something about that van.
I polished the kids up, donned them with shoes and sandals and grabbed a selection of cleaning supplies before marching to the van. The kids were surprised when I told them they could sit in the front seat. Even though the ride from the driveway to the front of the house was only about 30 seconds long, they were spellbound and speechless. That put a very good start on the big project... there's nothing like happy, content, impressed kids!
So, I scrubbed and cleaned and collected trash for the next hour or so and then went inside to retrieve my laundry money.
Did I tell anyone yet about my new job? Yes, I'm a laundry lady. I get paid well too.
Let me explain...
After several loads of laundry coming out of my washer and dryer accompanied with loud clanging sounds of coins, I decided that since I was the one that had to pick those coins up, than I could certainly use the "finders keepers" rule. I began to collect these coins in a cute little piggy bank on the top of the washer. If someone happened to mention that they were missing a whole handful of change, I'd direct them to my bank. But that never happened so I continued to add interest to my growing investment.
The day I cleaned the van, I knew my paycheck held enough quarters to efficiently vacuum and shampoo the carpet in the van. Sure enough, I had over $4 worth of quarters.
I dropped the large handful of change in my pocket before heading to the van and locking my kids in their seats. Then we headed to the car wash and finished up the beautifying of our dirty vehicle.
Having that huge project over with, I was ready to tackle other spring cleaning projects. Landon stayed up from his nap that day to help me and he was a really big "helper boy," as we fondly call him. He did laundry with me, hauled heavy baskets of rugs across the yard, cleaned up the living room, vacuumed and just was my right hand man. I was very impressed with his work ability.
That night Toby treated us to a nice supper and I didn't have to make a meal. A good thing when you just spent all day cleaning your kitchen. :)
With this delightful day under my belt (actually, I can't wear a belt right now so take that as a figure of speech), I am rejuvenated and re inspired to get big projects done. My sewing machine has been whirring, the wash machine has been dumping out clean bedding and even the guinea pig's cage is staying fresh and clean. And that's saying a lot for a pig.
And I even got this blog done. With that, I'll leave you to wonder when I'll post next and I hope right along with you that it won't be too long from now.
We've had sickness again but everyone is on the mend. I stayed home from Church today with Landon because his cough is still pretty thick. He sounds worse than he is though. Even I got this bug so there was another reason why I wasn't blogging.
This past week was very busy. I had routine pregnancy blood work that left me exhausted, thanks to the Rhogam shot. For those of you that are blessed to not know what this is, I have negative blood and have to be inoculated with each pregnancy in order to protect the currant baby as well as any future children.
The real culprit of my writers block is the fact that my iron is way too low. Thus the brain fog, fatigue, endless sleeping, never feeling rested way of life I've been living the past couple weeks. Now that I know my problem, I'm pumping iron and working on fixing it but it takes a good week or two to see improvement.
I was so glad to know my iron was that low. FINALLY, something can fix my problem! I kept mulling through my days wondering how in the world I'd ever be able to handle 3 children when I couldn't even take care of my 2. What is wrong with me? I'd shake my head and ask myself. It may sound strange but I was so glad my iron numbers were really low.
So, now that my energy is starting to climb, I'm tackling major procrastinated projects everyday. Plus, we have another birthday coming up this week and with the nice weather we've been having almost every day, our normal days our filled with extra activity. I love spring time with little ones around!
The other day was a good energy booster. I was feeling my normal, tired self by mid-morning but knew I couldn't take a nap for several hours. So, I contemplated my predicament and out of the blue, a horrible vision filled my mind of our extremely dirty van. And suddenly, I had to do something about that van.
I polished the kids up, donned them with shoes and sandals and grabbed a selection of cleaning supplies before marching to the van. The kids were surprised when I told them they could sit in the front seat. Even though the ride from the driveway to the front of the house was only about 30 seconds long, they were spellbound and speechless. That put a very good start on the big project... there's nothing like happy, content, impressed kids!
So, I scrubbed and cleaned and collected trash for the next hour or so and then went inside to retrieve my laundry money.
Did I tell anyone yet about my new job? Yes, I'm a laundry lady. I get paid well too.
Let me explain...
After several loads of laundry coming out of my washer and dryer accompanied with loud clanging sounds of coins, I decided that since I was the one that had to pick those coins up, than I could certainly use the "finders keepers" rule. I began to collect these coins in a cute little piggy bank on the top of the washer. If someone happened to mention that they were missing a whole handful of change, I'd direct them to my bank. But that never happened so I continued to add interest to my growing investment.
The day I cleaned the van, I knew my paycheck held enough quarters to efficiently vacuum and shampoo the carpet in the van. Sure enough, I had over $4 worth of quarters.
I dropped the large handful of change in my pocket before heading to the van and locking my kids in their seats. Then we headed to the car wash and finished up the beautifying of our dirty vehicle.
Having that huge project over with, I was ready to tackle other spring cleaning projects. Landon stayed up from his nap that day to help me and he was a really big "helper boy," as we fondly call him. He did laundry with me, hauled heavy baskets of rugs across the yard, cleaned up the living room, vacuumed and just was my right hand man. I was very impressed with his work ability.
That night Toby treated us to a nice supper and I didn't have to make a meal. A good thing when you just spent all day cleaning your kitchen. :)
With this delightful day under my belt (actually, I can't wear a belt right now so take that as a figure of speech), I am rejuvenated and re inspired to get big projects done. My sewing machine has been whirring, the wash machine has been dumping out clean bedding and even the guinea pig's cage is staying fresh and clean. And that's saying a lot for a pig.
And I even got this blog done. With that, I'll leave you to wonder when I'll post next and I hope right along with you that it won't be too long from now.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Update On Toby's Mom
I meant to do this sooner but we never really had any solid information on her health until recently.
I talked to Gail (Toby's mom) on the phone yesterday and she is doing remarkably better. The ending verdict was that she probably had a strain of Dengue Fever. No one else was getting sick with it at the time so that's another answer to prayer.
But, now his dad is starting to weaken in his health. He typically seems to have poor health when they're down there. He has had times of getting really ill for days. Please pray that he would remain in stable and sound health.
Thank you for all your prayers! It is such a joy to know that people our praying for our loved ones and mentioning their names before the throne of God.
I talked to Gail (Toby's mom) on the phone yesterday and she is doing remarkably better. The ending verdict was that she probably had a strain of Dengue Fever. No one else was getting sick with it at the time so that's another answer to prayer.
But, now his dad is starting to weaken in his health. He typically seems to have poor health when they're down there. He has had times of getting really ill for days. Please pray that he would remain in stable and sound health.
Thank you for all your prayers! It is such a joy to know that people our praying for our loved ones and mentioning their names before the throne of God.
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